Harald, probably the second son of King Cnut and his first wife,
Ælfgifu of Northampton, held the English throne after the death of
his father in 1035 and until his own (apparently sudden) death in
1040.

His birth can probably be dated to between that liaison
(c. 1013-14?) and Cnut's subsequent marriage to Emma in
1017 (presumably following the repudiation of his first wife). His
youth coincided with the years of supremacy of his father's second
wife and her son, Harthacnut, and he spent this time in obscurity
either in England or in Scandinavia.

He re-emerges in the historical record after the death of his
father in 1035, and it is clear that he entered into a struggle
with the allies of his half-brother …

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Citation:
Bolton, Timothy. "Reign of King Harald Harefoot".
The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 05 May 2006
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1667, accessed 03 March 2015.]

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1667Reign of King Harald Harefoot2Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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